Apparatus for indicating correct back posture

ABSTRACT

An apparatus to be placed on the head of a person to indicate correct or faulty back posture during execution of various activities in an upright or sitting position. The apparatus comprises a balance member (1) connected with a base section (2) adapted to be attached to the person&#39;s head (A) by means of a hair band, forehead band, cap, etc. (3), whereby said balance member (1), in the case of head positions and consequent back positions that deviate from correct back posture, will tip in the direction of inclination of the head (A).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus to be placed on the headof a person to indicate correct or faulty back posture during executionof various activities in an upright or sitting position.

The apparatus can thus be utilized in daily life at various work placesand during the execution of different leisure time activities such asexercizing, gymnastics, aerobics, jogging and ballet.

In connection with back ailments, it has been recommended by a number ofdoctors, physical therapists and others that the spine should be held asstraight as possible during various activities associated with both workand leisure. This applies, for example, to bending, sitting on an officechair, and to lifting.

We do not know, however, of any suitable mechanical aid for holding theback in the correct position during execution of the quite numerousdaily activities that produce strain on the spinal column.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which,when used, will help a person hold the spinal column straight when theperson sits on an office chair, has to lift something or bend over, etc.

This is achieved according to the invention by means of thecharacteristic features disclosed in the characterizing clause of thefollowing independent claim 1 and in the subsequent dependent claims.

Experiments conducted using the apparatus in accordance with theinvention have shown that the user's back is held straight and the backposture is correct even during prolonged periods of work with, forexample, house cleaning or typing.

The balance member preferably consists of a plate member connected forspringing movement with and unstably supported by a base sectionattached to a hair band, which may be placed on a person's head. At eachend of the plate member is attached a weight element, said weightelements causing a moving deflection of the springing, movable platemember when the user's head is moved, and resulting in a swinging motiontoward one side or the other, or forward and backward, from anintermediate position which is to indicate correct back posture.

The actual plate member/balance plate may be made of plastic. Byproviding two parallel incisions in the midsection of the plate from onelongitudinal edge toward the other longitudinal edge thereof, and bybending in the strip thus produced into an approximate U-shape under theplate, one forms a hinge strip, the free end of which may be attached tothe above mentioned hair band. Depending on the resilient properties ofthe strip, in order to achieve a desired spring motion between the platewith the weights and the attachment point for the strip, a spring may bepositioned between the point of attachment of the strip on the hair bandand its origin in the plate member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment example in accordance with the invention will be describedfurther in the following, with reference to the illustration, where

FIG. 1 in perspective shows the apparatus positioned on a hair band,

FIG. 2 shows the apparatus seen from the side with the hair band placedon a head,

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the apparatus placed on anelastic forehead band, and

FIG. 4 shows the same as FIG. 2, but with the head bent to show theindicative deflection of the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The apparatus comprises a balance member 1 which is shown in FIG. 1 asan elongate plate member connected for springing movement with andunstably supported by a base section 2 attached to a hair band 3 thatmay be placed on a person's head, as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Thebalance member 1 is, as shown in FIG. 1, connected with the base section2 by means of a U-shaped flexible, springy band 4. This U-shaped band 4may either be an integral part of the balance member 1, or may beattached thereto by one leg 4b thereof with the aid of screws, pins orglue, and may with its other leg 4c constitute base section 2 or beattached to a base section 2 in the same manner, which in turn isattached to the hair band 3 in an expedient way. When the apparatus isin position for use upon a head, the U-shaped band 4 with its midsection4a faces forward in the direction of the head, i.e., the legs 4b, 4c ofthe U-shape face backward. On balance member 1, which is constructed ofa material as lightweight as possible, there are placed weights 6,namely a weight at each end of the balance member and near thelongitudinal edge thereof opposite band 4. This is intended to affordthe greatest possible spring effect or movability in the U-shaped band.An important purpose of band 4 in addition to a slight spring action isto guide the direction of movement of balance member 1 relative to basesection 2, viz. such that balance member 1 primarily swings about anaxis running transversly to band 4 in the proximity of its midsection4a. Thus, by making band 4 relatively wide, said swinging movement ispermitted, while tilting movements of balance member 1 crosswise to theband are substantially reduced.

To achieve maximal movability about said rotational axis, band 4 may beconstructed with a very slight spring force which would not, forexample, be sufficient to hold balance member 1 and its weights 6 at adesired distance from base section 2. In order to attain the desireddistance between said sections 1 and 2, a helical compression spring 5may be positioned between base section 2 and balance member 1, which tosome degree equalizes or counteracts the weight of balance member 1 andthe weights 6. Thus will enable balance member 1 to be moved very easilyand to tip forward when the apparatus is positioned on a person's head,as shown in FIG. 2, and the head is bent forward as shown in FIG. 4.Hence, balance member 1 will tip forward and will indicate that the userhas assumed an incorrect back posture with the head in this position.This tipping of balance member 1 due to the mentioned position of thehead is registered by the user's nerves, which are capable of sensingthat the center of gravity of the apparatus has been displaced. When thehead is raised up and, accordingly, the back posture is alsostraightened, balance member 1 will swing back to its starting point,which is also registered by the user.

The weight elements 6 may be detachable, and may thus be replaced bydifferent weights, or said weight elements may be augmented with partialweights.

In an embodiment form as shown in FIG. 3, balance member 1 with band 4and optionally base section 2 may be constructed as a unit from asufficiently rigid and resilient material, which may, for example, forma flat blank that is stamped out of a sheet material and then bent intothe correct shape.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus to be attached to a head of a person to indicate correct or faulty back posture during execution of various activities in an upright or sitting position, comprising:attachment means for attaching said apparatus to a top portion of said head; an elongate balance member; a base section connected to said attachment means; a flexible, U-shaped band having a first and a second leg, said first leg being attached to a midsection of said balance member, said second leg being attached to said base section; said flexible, U-shaped band extending transversely of a longitudinal direction of said balance member, mean center of gravity of said balance member being situated at a distance from a midsection of said flexible, U-shaped band, said legs of said flexible, U-shaped band facing rearward relative to the person's head during use of said apparatus; and whereby, in case of head positions and consequent back positions that deviate from correct back posture, said balance member will tip in a direction of inclination of the head.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising spring means being positioned between said base section and said midsection of said balance member.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said balance member is provided with weight means located transversely of said flexible, U-shaped band.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising spring means being positioned between extreme ends of said legs of said flexible, U-shaped band.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said balance member is provided with weight means located transversely of said flexible, U-shaped band.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said balance member and said flexible, U-shaped band are made as an integral unit.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said unit is stamped out of a resilient sheet material and bent into said U-shape. 